Vegetable washer



Dec. 10, 1946, A. G. su LFLow 'VEGETABLE WASHER Filed July 16, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 10, 1946.

A. e. SUELFLOW VEGETABLE WASHER Filed July 1e,' 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet- 2 Patented Dec. 10, 1946 VEGETABLE WASHER Alfred G. Suelflow, Milwaukee, Wis.; G .I. Hansen, executor of. said Alfred G.. Suelflow, deceased, 'assignor to Felins Tying Machine Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a-corporation of Wisconsin Application July 16, 1943, Serial No. 494,902

1; Claim. 1

The primary object of my invention is to provide a simple, durable and effective cleaning and washing machine for all varieties of bunched vegetables, wherein the same are rapidly brushed clean and rinsed, the said invention being an improvement upon the Suelflow and Wolford Vegetable washer, Patent No. 1,772,880. 7

Another object of my invention is to provide brushes built up from sector units forming peripheral cylinders positioned and intermeshed relative to each other in break joint formation between sectors, whereby the scrubbing and rinsing action is increased due to variation in intensity or density between the brush sectors at the point of engagement with the bunched prodnot fed between said brush cylinders.

Another object of my invention is to provide shaft carried disc-heads for receiving the brush sector units spindles having means for quickly clamping an adjustment for interchangeability and replacement, whereby the life of the sector units is extended and proper adjustment of the same is effected.

Another object of'my invention is to provide a motor driven chain drive gear connection for the companion brush shafts, whereby economy in drive power is effected and synchronized rotation for the brush shafts is insured to maintain break joints between the companion cylinders.

A still further object of my invention is to provide simple means for adjustably securing the brush housing with relation to any type of water tank, the open bottom housing being provided with a perforated semi-circular shell for the reception of the lower brush, the shell and drum being partly submerged a predetermined depth controlled by supporting legs depending from the housing or casing in conjunction with adjustable horizontal straps engageable with an edge of said water tank.

With the above and other minor objects in view, my invention consists in certain peculiarities of construction and combination of parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings and subse quently claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 represents an end, elevational View of a vegetable washer embodying the features of my invention, the same particularly showing the driving gear connections.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal, sectional view of the same, the section being taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 3.

Figure 3 is a sectional, side, elevational view of 2 the washer, the section being indicated by line 3-3v of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged, detail, cross sectional view of the brush sector clamping means; the

' section being indicated by line dl of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary, sectional, elevational view of the brush confining means, the section being indicated by line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Referring by characters to the drawings, I indicates a rectangular casing having a crown top and a feed mouth 2. Ihe crown topis'provided with an inverted channel reinforcing bar 3 and the end walls are formed with companion bearing hubs 4-5 for the reception of an upper shaft 5 and a lower shaft 5, said shafts adjacent the end walls have secured thereto head-discs 6 which are peripherally notched at equi-distant points as best shown in Figure 4,

These notches are preferably semi-circular in form for the reception of wood or fibre ends of pairs of spindles l- -'i. These spindles have suitably secured thereon a fan shaped. row of bristles 8, the series of the same intersecting each other at their periphery to form a cylindrical brush built up from the fan spaced sectors. It will also be'noted that the brush sectors, at their juncture, overlap to develop points ofintermeshed greater volume, and as best shown in Figure 3, the peripheral surfaces of the upper and lower brushes intermesh in alignment with the feed opening and also said sectors of the companion brushes are in break joint relation with each other at the point of feed.

The ends of the pairs of spindles are frictionally secured to the disc-heads by straps 9 having curved ends overlapping the pairs of spindles and said straps are secured to the disc-heads by bolts iii.

The spindle couplings are provided in pairs to facilitate removal of any worn brush sector or pair of sectors without dismantling the entire brush for replacement of the units it being understood in practice these sectors become worn and necessitate their removal. Hence, this simple arrangement of coupling is provided with separate straps which can be quickly removed without dismantling the entire brush.

Owing to the above described peculiar construction and arrangement of the brushes, when a bunch of vegetables is fed therebetween, a scrubhing or cleaning operation is developed having intermittent heavy and light strokes upon the article being cleaned. It will also be noted, in the event the bristles, through continuous use, become worn or bent at the fan edges, the sector The bottom portion of the housing or casing? is open, as indicated in Figure 2 of the drawings, and said bottom portion is partially closed by a semi-circular shell II, which shell is secured to the front and end side walls of the casing adjacent the lower edge of the feed mouth. Therear upper edge of the shell is spaced from the back wall of the casing to form a discharge throat A for refuse and the bottom of said shell is provided with a .pair of spaced rows of ventopenings II extending upon opposite sides ofthevertical shell axis.

'4' o are provided with stirrups I8 for therreception of horizontally disposed arms I9 terminating at the front ends of the tanks with engaging jaws I9. These jaws are secured to the upper edge of the tank by clamping bolts, as shown. The

' stirrups carry bolts I8 which engage the rear The brush housing is vertically secured within 7 the tank by adjustable legs 25 'whichare secured to the back wall of the brush housing by a slot It will also be noted that the shell forms a partial housing for the lower brush, which brush is adapted to rotate therein at high speed in synchrony with the speed of the upper brush.

. The brushes are driven by sprocket gears I 2I2 carried by the shafts 5 and 5'. The sprockets are meshed with a stretch of an endless chain I3, which chain is driven bya sprocket pinion I4, which is carriedby a stud I4 forming part of a belt pulley l5. This belt pulley is suitably encased in a hood l5 andiis secured to the adjacent wall of the brush casing and said stud I4 is journaled in the hood l5. 7

Suitably secured to the casing reinforcing bar 3 is an electric motor B, the shaft of which extends into the guard hood I5' and carries a small pulley which is in belt connection with the pulley I5, whereby power is delivered to the cylindrical brushes in apositive manner. In the event of over-feeding or choking between the brushes, the tension of the belt guide units will permit slippage. The tension of the endless chain belt is regulated by an adjustable strip I6 which carries an idle sprocket at one end engaging the drive chain and to protect the user of the washer from the driving gear, the same is'encased in a skeleton guard I1.

" The back wall of the brush casing is provided.

with a hinged door I, as indicated in Figure .2,

for the purpose of access to the brushes and alsofor cleaning purposes.

As indicated in Figure2 of the drawings, the

washer is adapted to be fitted to any type of water tank C.

and bolt connection, as shown. The lower ends' of the legs are formed with toes which rest'upon the bottom of the tank.

Thus it will be noted that the brush housing is adjustable in a horizontal and vertical direction within the tank, whereby the lower brush and associated shell may beproperly submerged below the water line in said tank.

From the foregoing description, it is obvious that bunches of vegetables can be rapidly cleaned and rinsed by inserting'said bunchesthrough the feed mouth of the washerlbetween the brushes, said bunches being held in this position for an instant and will be extracted thoroughly cleaned and washed, bearing in mind thatthe high speed lower brush will draw up'clean water from a position below the upper level of the same, which may be more or less coated with dirt or foreign substance, and as the brush units are saturated with the clean water, said water is transferred to the upper brush and also to the article being scrubbed clean and rinsed, Foreign material or refuse developed from. this cleaning process will provided with a support adapted for mounting upon a water tank, comprising stirrups projecting from the side walls of the washing machine casing, horizontally positioned arms 'slidably mounted in the stirrups, means securing the arms in an adjusted, position in the stirrups; jaws at the outer ends of the arms for engagement with one edge of a water tank," and vertically disposed supporting legs adjustably secured to the casing of the Washing machine adapted to rest upon the 7 bottom of a water-tank.

ALFRED G. sunntww. 

